Encore Boston Workers Strike for Fair Contract with Teamsters 25
Editorial StaffThe Facts -
- Over 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor are striking for fair contracts.
- Teamsters demand better wages, benefits, and job protections.
- Encore's management is criticized for not negotiating in good faith.
Teamsters Local 25 Pushes for Fair Contract Amid Casino Strike
(EVERETT, Mass.) – A significant labor strike has erupted at Encore Boston Harbor, with over 1,300 employees represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26 taking action due to stalled contract negotiations. The workers are demanding fairer wages, improved benefits, and greater job protections after the company’s refusal to engage in meaningful discussions.
On August 20, a decisive 97 percent of Teamsters voted to authorize a strike, setting the stage for this labor action. Tommy Blitsch, Director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show, and Casino Division, stated, “Encore management has pushed our members to the brink because they thought they could take our labor for granted. If Encore wants its casino running, it needs the workers who make it run. And the Teamsters are standing up and fighting back.”
The strike involves 211 Teamsters who are essential to the operation of the five-star resort, working in various roles such as warehouse, horticulture, call center, cage cashiers, limo drivers, dispatchers, traffic attendants, valet, and guest experience attendants.
James Atkins, lead gardener and chief steward at Local 25, emphasized the workers' contributions, saying, “We make Encore a world-class resort that generates enormous profits because of our hard work. We didn’t want to strike but we won’t accept a contract that blatantly disrespects our labor. We’re on the picket line and will stay out as long as it takes to get a fair deal.”
Despite Encore’s substantial revenue of $847 million in Boston last year, management has not returned to the negotiating table with any substantial offers, even after the strike authorization vote. President of Local 25, Thomas G. Mari, remarked, “Encore slow-walked negotiations and played games with our members, and now they’re going to see how big of a mistake that was. When a company refuses to respect the workers who make its profits possible, we shut it down. The Teamsters don’t cross picket lines and won’t be intimidated.”
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, founded in 1903, represents 1.3 million workers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. For further details, visit Teamster.org. Stay updated via their social media on X and Facebook.
---
Read More USA Works News
